Round Fourteen Women’s Premier Division Match Review, UTS Bats vs East Coast Eagles

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Written by Lachlan Scott

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First Quarter

With finals looming ever closer this match up looks to play a significant role in shaping the top of the ladder. First vs Second on the ladder is always a blockbuster event but this late in the season it can have real implications on who teams are playing in finals and home ground advantage. With all this looming overhead UTS and East Coast brought their A game in a showdown for the ages.

UTS strikes first with Lindsey launching an early shot on goal from the 50m arc but the kick drifts right in the breeze. Hall and Davidson are immediately making their presence felt for East Coast with hard work in close and pinpoint accurate passing outside. The pace is frenetic and pressure absolute as they battle for supremacy early.

UTS are dominating field position early as their zone appears to be clogging up the midfield and forcing turnovers. Spamer peppers the goals with a check side kick from near the boundary, but it curls early through for a behind. Martin works hard to drive the ball forward for East Coast, marking strongly above her head and finding free players down field. Reid takes a staggeringly strong mark above her head through heavy contact, turns and burns finding Kozak in range of goal. The kick skids right but the Eagles are on the board early in this fast-paced frenzy of action.

Davidson marks well above her head with outstretched arms just in front of goal for the Eagles. She hurriedly takes the kick, but the umpire brings her back and momentum grinds to a halt as the blood rule is called behind play. Davidson takes the shot again but this time she slams it into the near post with a mighty whack.

UTS transition swiftly from the kick in down the spine wasting no time. Every possession is turn and burn as they spot targets and immediately follow through in an incredibly smooth piece of play. Behan lines up Devine as she charges across the forward line like a steam train, no one daring to get in her way. The ruck marks strongly as all rucks do, then kicks as all rucks don’t, straight as an arrow and right over the goal umpire’s head. No hesitancy in that kick, UTS first goal of the match.

The Bats midfield swarms forward to overwhelm this Eagles backline which is suddenly under siege. A mammoth smother by Devine keeps the ball locked forward and Quade throws herself into the contest to earn herself a free kick 30m out. She sees the time remaining on the clock, takes her full 30 seconds, canters in and thumps it right between the big sticks without issue. UTS showing why they’re top of the ladder here in the first.

Quarter Time UTS Bats 2.2.14 – East Coast Eagles 0.2.2

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Second Quarter

East Coast comes out swinging to start the second. Blasting long from the boundary they batter it forward and out over the back of the contest. Bailey appears from nowhere to swoop down and snatch the Sherrin off the deck. She breaks away from her opponent, runs perpendicular to goal and flicks the kick across her body, along the ground and skidding through for a goal. East Coast with their first of the day in less than a minute.

Tompkins plays goalkeeper down back for the Eagles, writing return to sender on the footy and launching it back into the midfield medley whenever it comes near her. Bailey again sees an opportunity from the contest and squeezes away a kick in hope, but it tumbles right for a minor. East Coast looking very threatening early.

Davidson and Burns are shutting down any run and carry through the midfield, leading the Eagles’ massive uptick in pressure. Burns is the target of the next forward foray, bodying her opponent out from the drop off the ball and lining up the tall forwards at the top of the goal square. The kick is accurate but the swarm of defenders is overwhelming and no one can mark. Davidson knocks it to ground, mad scramble below the knees, collects and kicks, through more legs than a centipede. And Goals! Miraculous goal through traffic by Davidson for East Coast.

Parker is intercepting everything down back for the Bats and playing hot potato with Hall as UTS tries desperately to break out. Ball is thrown in at midfield and the Eagles are utilizing a player sitting behind the contest as a quick release to launch forward over the contest to one-on-ones. Burns beats her opponent, turns and burns to Davidson further afield locked in contact with a defender. She puts herself between the ball and her opposite and can react first when it takes a right turn off the deck. Turning 180 degrees, she collects and snaps high across her body in one swift motion past the outstretched arms striving to block the kick a moment too late. Three in a row to the Eagles in a dominating second quarter performance.

UTS attack from the centre bounce, Quade streams out from goal and marks strongly on the run. Her kick floats right in the wind from 40m out for a behind. The defensive screen forces a turnover and they find her again, same distance but right up on the boundary this time. The kick stays right again for a pair of minors to end the half.

Half Time UTS Bats 2.4.16 – East Coast Eagles 3.3.21

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Third Quarter

UTS tear forward from the centre bounce, a lighting fast chain down the wing through McCaffery, to Behan, ending with Cerezo. They lock it forward as the defensive screen sets in and fire repeatedly inside 50 against an Eagles defence under siege. Finally the dam breaks as Behan puts the clamps on her opponent in a withering tackle, umpire calling holding the ball. She takes her time with the run up, shows the crowd her textbook kicking motion and slots it straight through the middle from 30m out at a difficult angle. Goal and the lead to the Bats early.

The Bats have certainly come out with some fire in the belly, Spamer flies through the centre bounce like a thief in the night, kicks forward at pace. Behan is tunnelled under the ball and falls heavily, certainly earning her free kick. Her shot on goal doesn’t make the distance but allows them to lock it forward for what seems like an eternity in such a close match. Houlahan flies across the backline for UTS, cutting off attacks and stopping forward progress in its tracks. But nothing can stop the Eagles next forward entry. Prosser-Shaw earns a free kick from just outside forward 50 as the woman on the mark jumps the gun. She lines up from 10m out at a slight angle, makes certain of her approach, and slots the kick with ease. The Bats defence will be kicking themselves for giving up such an easy goal.

Bailey looks to be the target forward but she’s surrounded by 4 opponents, can’t mark through all the clambering arms but forces a contest. East Coast are grinding forward through attrition in the midfield, Canobi and Spamer throwing in everything they have to stop the momentum. Davidson breaks from her opponent, looks long, doesn’t see anyone out so launches it past the contest but the ball rolls through for a behind. The Bats transition with speed through the centre of the ground, still looking dangerous in bursts, but Martin lays a gargantuan hip and shoulder to shut the play down. She goes again a moment later, marking in heavy traffic, rebuffing yet another attack.

UTS aren’t done yet though, they’ve wrestled back the ascendancy late here and are finding avenues forward past East Coast’s screen. Watts batters away opponents and clears the ball to half forward for the Bats. Spamer charges into the fray and gets a free kick over the shoulder for her efforts. She sends it wide to Canobi, switching the play and unsettling the defence. Canobi finds Brown streaming into the forward pocket in a paddock space and hits her target. Browns kick across the body to the centre square bounces once and then into the waiting hands of Behan who slams it on the boot off a step and straight over the goal umpire’s head. Lightning-fast play from UTS, skills and grit on display here today. We’re all tied up here heading into the final quarter, it doesn’t get better than this.

Three Quarter Time UTS Bats 4.4.28 – East Coast Eagles 4.4.28

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Fourth Quarter

Tompkins and Martin are again pivotal down back for the Eagles, sharking forward passes and stopping UTS’s momentum cold. Not much movement in the midfield as both sides work tirelessly at the coal face, taking turns trying to either mine it out or shut it down. Martin roams forward and acts as the slingshot out the back of the contest. She finds Moran who turns and burns immediately down the wing to Bailey who does the exact same towards the goal square and Burns. She collects, steps once, check-side kick, Goal! In just over 10 seconds East Coast have gone almost the entire length of the ground and scored in an incredible showing of speed and accuracy.

UTS storm forward from the centre bounce, every second counting. The final kick inside 50 flutters wayward in the wind but earns them a stoppage deep in the forward pocket. Umpire bounces the ball, a scrum forms and the ball shoots out. But it’s called a throw! Behan has a free kick from 15m out, standing almost completely in line with the goals, a truly impossible angle. Defenders circle her, waiting for the play on call to swarm. She composes herself, sprints forward and kicks high and across her body just out of reach from the grasping arms. The kick finds its mark and her teammates throng around her as cheers ring out. A goal so late in this game is pivotal and UTS have kept themselves in it here.

The whole field is buzzing after that goal, scores are level again and all energy feeding into the centre bounce. UTS take it from the contest, quick handball to Behan, she breaks out the Kookaburra for 6 and launches a towering kick straight into the waiting arms of Quade. She wastes no time, sprinting towards goal away from 3 defenders, gets space, low left foot kick. Goal! In a matter of seconds the Bats have made it two in a row and now its East Coast playing catch up.

Parker stands tall down back for the Bats, more pivotal now than ever before. East Coast can’t claw their way back if they can’t get past her. Brown is the next target up forward for UTS, she can’t mark it through the contact, is slung in the tackle but her shot on goal is online. Touched on the line, behind. McCaffery is up next, free kick from the boundary, her kick floating right for another behind. Seconds are ticking away here, East Coast are kicking long in hope now but not finding their way past the defensive screen.

 Parker is again involved, she’s everywhere in the final term. She sweeps up the wing, forces a turnover and hits up McCaffery on the lead. Her kick is punched through on the line but it looks like that’s all they wrote as we come down to the last 60 seconds and all the momentum in the Bats favour.

The Eagles make repeated desperate stabs forward through Burns and Prosser-Shaw but Lindsay has swapped places with Parker and cuts off any final glimpses of levelling the scoreline. As the siren sounds the UTS bench streams onto the field, everyone can see what this means for them.

A massive victory for UTS as they look to storm into finals for the first time. East Coast were in the contest right up to the final siren and gave it their all everywhere on the ground. It will be incredible to watch these two sides come finals.

Full Time UTS Bats 6.7.43 – East Coast Eagles 5.4.34

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Final Scores:

Team Name: UTS Bats 6.7.43

Goal Kickers: G. Behan 3, J. Quade 2, A. Devine

Best: Danika Spamer, Ella Parker, Georgina McDonnell, Melissa Lindsay, Aleshea Houlahan, Charlotte Owen

Team Name: East Coast Eagles 5.4.34

Goal Kickers: C. Davidson 2, B. Bailey, S. Burns, A. Prosser-Shaw.

Best: Renee Tomkins, Alicia Anderson, Abbey Martin, Caitlin Reid, Chloe Arndt, Sarah Burns

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